Senators make a draft floor trade, but it's not Erik Karlsson

And by not getting traded before Friday’s first round of the NHL entry draft, we expect he will remain an Ottawa Senator at least until the team offers him a contract extension on July 1.

Pierre Dorion had a couple of conversations on the draft floor at the American Airlines Center in Dallas — at one point he had an extended pre-draft chat with Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff — but Karlsson’s name may have never even been mentioned.

The one move Dorion made was to deal his 22nd-overall pick to the New York Rangers, for the 26th and the 48th picks, giving Ottawa a second-round selection it had traded in the Derick Brassard-Mika Zibanejad deal a couple of summers ago.

The Senators did make a strong move in selecting Brady Tkachuk fourth overall — even if Filip Zadina said his goal will be to fill the net when he plays teams that bypassed him as he fell to sixth. But Tkachuk has strong bloodlines and was the best player on the U.S. junior team. He should be a very good player and could crack Ottawa’s lineup as soon as next season.

But all in all, it was a rather uneventful night for the Senators. Especially compared to what could have been.

OFF THE CLOCK

Standing by the back fence that separates the draft floor from the media risers, we were visited by coaches, scouts, agents, PR staffers and former players who all laughed, rolled their eyes or expressed their disbelief but said the exact same thing: “What’s going on in Ottawa? You’ve got lots to write about.” And now, throwing yet another log on the fire is Craig Anderson, who reportedly would like a fresh start with another team. In other words, he’s bailing. The problem is, the list of those that could want Anderson isn’t long. The Islanders need a goalie, and so do the Sabres. But after that? Anderson carries a rather hefty $4.75-million cap hit for the next two seasons, and he was more or less brutal in 2017-18. He has a pattern of playing good every other year, but as somebody said Friday, “he’s 37 and running out of other years.” … If Anderson is moved, who replaces him as Mike Condon’s partner in Ottawa? There could be some interest in bringing back Robin Lehner, who is not being re-signed as a restricted free agent by the Sabres and therefore becomes a UFA. The 26-year old Swede is also coming off a below-average season and he would have to take a cut from the $4-million salary he was making. The best of the rest include a couple of 34-year-olds in Cam Ward and Kari Lehtonen, 33-year-old Jaroslav Halak … Of course, Andrew (Hamburglar) Hammond will also be a free agent, but don’t expect the Senators to go that route.

ON SECOND THOUGHT

Wives of Florida Panthers players have already reached out to Mike Hoffman’s fiancee, Monika Caryk, and welcomed her to the team. Discuss amongst yourselves … Gary Bettman was greeted the usual way by fans at a draft, but interrupted to say he was making an important announcement about the Humboldt Broncos. “After that,” Bettman said, “you can boo me all night.” That they did … The Bolts were named the recipients of the 2018 E.J. McGuire award of excellence. Everybody in the building got on their feet to give team president Kevin Garinger a standing ovation.

NOOKS AND CRANNIES

Former Sabres GM and Senators assistant GM Tim Murray apparently spent the winter honing his on-ice skills in Shawville. Word is he’s becoming a pretty good curler … When the draft started, it was 37C in Dallas and it “felt like” 42C. Thank God for air conditioning … Being here this week gives me another chance to work with Postmedia’s Michael “Tip the girl, I’ve got no cash” Traikos. And that is always a pleasure … I walked by Wayne Gretzky in the bowels of the American Airlines Center. I heard him tell a friend he couldn’t go somewhere in the building because he forgot his credentials. Really? There’s a rink in North America that The Great One wouldn’t be recognized? … Funny moment on stage between Mike Modano, perhaps the greatest Star ever, and Jamie Benn, who is also right up there. Modano, who was the first-overall pick of the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, was teasing Benn about not having been there before. “They definitely don’t let the fifth rounders go up on stage,” Benn said, “but it’s an honour to be up here with you.” … Modano did note that fifth rounder did win an Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring. “I’ll trade that Art Ross Trophy me and my teammates won for that Standly Cup banner any day,” Benn said, pointing up to the rafters. Of course, the fans went crazy.

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